There All Along
by Emily31594
Summary: This story begins after the war and covers a few moments in Harry and Ginny's lives. Thanks for reading, and enjoy! Emily
1. Chapter 1

_I have another version of this scene which I actually like better, under the title Endings and Beginnings. Also, I would read this story from last chapter to first, as I've been writing it for a while, and my style has certainly changed. I'm planning on going back and editing through these first couple of chapters. Emily_

The morning dawned quietly in England for the first time in a year. The hero remained asleep in a friend's old bed, with a pretty redhead resting silently in a small burgundy chair off to one side. Her eyes remained open, and she watched in silence as he slept. Occasionally he would turn his head to one side, or lift an arm and resettle it. Each time he moved she became more alert and worriedly watched his face. And each time he became motionless once again.

Suddenly, he sat up halfway and groped for a wand.

"Relax, Harry, it's just me," she comforted. She rose from the chair and leaned over him, taking his hands and softly settling them back down by his side.

"Ginny?" he queried, as he slowly opened his eyes to look at her. "What's going on?"

"The war's over. You're at the burrow, in Bill's old room. You've been out for a couple of days."

Harry's perplexed expression changed into one of utter disbelief.

Harry turned to look at her and asked, "Are you okay?", glancing at her as if to make sure.

"I'm fine, Harry."

"And everyone else?" he asked. Then he remembered. Ginny had lost her brother, Fred. Her whole family probably hated him. His face softened. "Ginny, I'm so sorry about Fred."

"Thank you," she replied absent-mindedly. She turned her head away slightly and seemed lost in her own thoughts, then turned back to him. "Ron and Hermione are fine, they're just in the next room. I think Hermione helped Ron get through it alright. The rest of my family is…well, we're doing okay. George just locks himself in his room. Hermione convinced Ron to try and get him to go somewhere today. And Mum's upset. She didn't say one word to anyone the first day, and she hasn't eaten much. But she's getting better. "

Harry reached for her hand to squeeze it tenderly. "I really am sorry. I should not have let him fight. I never meant for anyone else to get hurt."

"Harry, you can't blame yourself," she said fiercely. "He wouldn't want you to. We all knew what we were getting into. I'm sure he was proud to die for you, for the cause."

He smiled weakly at her, then frowned again. "I don't deserve that kind of loyalty." He grunted

as he tried to sit up more, and coughed into his hand.

"Here" Ginny said as she leaned forward to help him. Once he was sitting, with his back still resting on the pillows, she grabbed a glass of water from the bedside table and helped him take a small sip.

"Thanks." Harry took a few sips, and then passed the clear, half-empty glass back to her and settled back down into the pillows. She took the glass and placed it carefully on the worn table, and continued the conversation.

"You deserve that loyalty, Harry, you must understand that. You saved millions." Harry shook his head, and she decided to move on for a moment, noting the many black-and-blue marks and cuts that had not been there when she had last seen him.

"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked, gently tracing the scars and bruises on his face. He winced when she touched the large cut underneath his right eye, and she quickly removed her hand.

"OK, I guess. Still sore." Moving on to another, more inconsequential thought, it occurred to Ginny that Harry had not eaten in days.

"Would you like something to eat?" she asked. At least, she thought, he could be more comfortable before their conversation continued. And she would be more comfortable when she was sure he was alright, at least physically.

"Sure," he answered, nodding slightly.

"Alright, I'm sure Mum would be glad to make you something. Or several somethings. I'll be right back." She turned to the door, took one look back at him, and added, "Why don't you step into the bathroom and shower while I'm gone? I put a set of Ron's clothes and a towel at the foot of the bed." She continued down the stairs and into the kitchen to find her mother staring out a window, a cup of untouched tea resting in her hands.

"Are you alright, Mum?"

"Hmmm, oh, yes, dear," she took a moment to respond and turned distractedly toward her daughter.

"He woke up."

"That's wonderful, dear," she replied, standing to hug her daughter tightly, and smiling broadly for the first time since Ginny had come downstairs. "He should eat something."

Ginny grinned at her mother's one-track mind. "Yes, mum, that's why I came downstairs."

"Alright, let's get him something." Mrs. Weasley proceeded to pull eggs, bread, bacon, tomatoes, cheeses, and countless other items out of the refrigerator and began to cook. While Ginny was glad that her mother was talking now, she frowned slightly at the idea that cooking was a distraction, a way to escape those contemplative moments her mother had when no one else was in the room. Pushing these thoughts away, Ginny reached into a cupboard to get a large plate and a tray, and set them on the counter. As dishes were completed, Mrs. Weasley added them to the plate. Ginny found a napkin and silverware, and set them on the tray, also adding a fresh glass of water.

Armed with more food than she thought anyone could eat in one sitting, Ginny climbed carefully up the stairs and knocked on the door of Bill's old room.

"Come in," Harry called. She walked towards him and settled the tray on his lap.

"Thanks," he said, smiling at her briefly. His hair was wet and wild as ever, and he had clean clothes on. He was sitting up on the edge of the bed, and his injuries looked less grim than they had. "Took less time than I thought, to get clean. The cuts on my face and arms are already clean and healing."

She smiled in return, and replied "Yes, Mum and I cleaned those and put salve on them when you got here," and then continued to watch as he pondered the menagerie of dishes and selected a simple piece of bread.

"So, Ron and Hermione," Harry began, "how are they? I mean, have they woken up and everything?"

"Well, Hermione woke up yesterday at noon, and Ron a few hours after that." She grinned. "You know him, never could resist sleeping in."

"No, I guess not," Harry agreed, smiling at her. Until he realized that he was staring, and swiftly looked away. Ginny looked down.

"You know, they finally got over it and decided to date, thank God."

Harry nodded vaguely and added, "About time." He took his tray, with food still on the plate, as Ginny had predicted, and set it down on the bedside table.

Ginny nodded back, and then settled into her chair, having run out of things to say. Harry sat silently for a moment, inspecting the room, and then searched her face. Neither moved, until Ginny realized that she was staring and looked at her lap.

Harry looked confused. What had changed? Had she finally remembered that she should hate him? That he had left her alone? Then he would bring up that topic which they had been so carefully stepping around until this point.

"Ginny, I want to apologize for hurting you."

Ginny's head snapped up at his words. "I only wanted to keep you safe."

She stared quietly for a moment. "I know that," she said. Then tears began to run from her eyes. "It still hurt."

_Thanks for reading! I hope you have enjoyed the first chapter. All feedback is welcome, and all of my reviewers have been helpful. Thanks again, Emily._


	2. Chapter 2

_This chapter is shorter but I feel that the end is an appropriate place to stop. _

He gathered her hands in his. Taking courage from the fact that she did not resist, he added, "I thought about you every day that I was gone."

"Me too," she said. He squeezed her hand, and continued.

"And I was just thinking about why that was." He paused, looking at her to gauge her reaction. "And I figured it out." He paused again to wipe a stray tear off of her cheek, and returned his hands to hers on his lap, gently pulling her down to sit next to him. She sat down silently and looked back up at his face expectantly.

"I left to defeat Voldemort, to make the world a safer, happier place," he began. He hesitated, and leaned closer to her. "And now he is gone. He will never bother you, or your family, or Hogwarts, or anyone else every again." He swore her safety fiercely, aware that his family, the Weasleys, and his friends, the teachers and students at Hogwarts, were his motivation for fighting. She squeezed his hands encouragingly, sensing there was something else he wanted to say. He smiled weakly, and continued. "I realized, through all of my journeys, my hardships, my pain , that once he was gone, everything I needed for the rest of my life was there all along. You."

He took a deep breath, removed one of his hands from hers to cup her cheek, and said, "I love you."

Ginny's eyes spilled more tears as she said, "I love you, too."

Harry gave her a blinding smile and pulled her into a hug, resting her chin on his shoulder as he buried his face in her hair. He turned so that she was facing him on the bed. Suddenly, Ginny began to laugh. A blissful, animated laugh. For the first time since Fred had died, and probably since Harry had left, she felt happy. Airy. Alive. Harry's expression became questioning.

"What are you laughing about?" he inquired into her ponytail.

She grinned, "I'm getting all wet from your hair."

He laughed with her for a moment as he smoothed her hair away from his face. Then Harry lifted her head off of his shoulder so that he could see her face. He beamed at her, overwhelmed with happiness at the light mood that had overcome them. She returned his broad smile with one of her own, startled at the revelation that she felt happy for the first time in months. Ever so slowly, their expressions became more serious. Ginny froze as Harry gradually leaned toward her, and she slowly shut her eyes. He kissed her gently on the lips, and pulled back to stare into her eyes, which had fluttered open, with great intensity. Then he leaned forward again and kissed her more passionately. His hands found the sides of her arms, and he slowly ran his fingers up and down her arms, in and out of the sleeves of her cotton blouse. She sighed and placed one hand on either side of his neck, kissing him back with equal fervor. A minute later, Harry pulled back to rest his forehead against her, smiling gently, eyes leisurely opening as his breathing quieted. Ginny kept her eyes shut as she let her pulse return to normal.

"Why don't we go find everyone else?" Harry asked.

Ginny opened her eyes, and smiled. "Okay."

_Thanks to everyone who has read this story so far, and also to those who took the time to review. Reviews are wonderful and helpful, even if you hated the story. __**Credited and Anonymous reviews embraced! **__Thanks again, Emily. _

_P.S. It occurs to me that I have yet to include a disclaimer, so here it is. I do not own anything in this story except the specific chain of events that I have included, and the way in which I convey them. J.K. Rowling does_

_**Oh, one more thing. The next chapters will not be chronological. If anyone would really like me to write another point in time, either right after these two chapters, or any other time in their lives, feel free to suggest that in a review. **_


	3. Chapter 3

_Two-and-a-half years later…_

Harry Potter sat silently on a wooden park bench, facing Hogwart's Black Lake, wearing a dark suit and cobalt shirt. He nervously bounced his knees up and down, and kept glancing at the shoreline, as though waiting for someone. Each time he checked the shore to find it empty, he sighed, looked down, and continued to tap his feet.

Suddenly, a loud pop was audible from about twenty yards away. A young woman appeared, fiery red hair swept up into a bun, wearing an emerald, knee-length, v-neck dress. Harry sprang up from the bench and ran over to her.

"Ginny," he said breathlessly, giving her a quick peck on the cheek, "you made it."

"Well, of course I did, Harry," she responded, smiling. "Who wouldn't come when the most wonderful man in the world asked?"

Harry smiled at her quickly, and then became nervous again and looked to his side, adding, "Come with me. I have something to show you."

"Of course," Ginny responded, reaching for his hand and walking as he guided her along.

Both were quiet for several minutes, until Harry broke the silence.

"Close your eyes, Ginny," he requested. Ginny gave him a teasing smile before complying and giving him both of her hands, so that he could steer her.

Though Ginny could not see, she knew they were on the Hogwarts grounds, and so noticed that they had ended up near the banks of trees that lined the Lake. She smiled. This was where they had come after Harry had kissed her in Gryffindor Common Room.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Ginny gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth. "It's beautiful," she praised, breathless. "You did all of this?"

"Yes," he affirmed. She turned toward Harry and raised herself onto her toes to press a quick kiss to his lips, and then pulled him over to the golden picnic blanket that lay beneath their tree. The same spot where they had gone to be together during her fifth year. Resting on the blanket was an open picnic basket, and two golden plates, napkins, and forks lay on trays next to it. But perhaps the most impressive display was the hundreds of twinkling gold candles that floated above the trees. The scene held a soft glow as candles danced amidst the dark sky above.

Ginny stopped walking once they reached the edge of the blanket, and leaned back to rest against Harry's chest, a content smile forming on her lips.

"Thank you," was all she could manage.

He kissed her temple, smiling, and replied, "My pleasure." He then moved from behind her, took her left hand, and led her to her seat on the far side of the blanket, before settling into to his seat as well.

"However did you get Hogwarts to let you do this?" she inquired.

"Well," he said, "I went to see Headmistress McGonagall, and I insisted that if it was inconvenient, I could do this somewhere else. But she said that Hogwarts owed the two of us plenty, and if I ever wanted anything from them, all I had to do was ask."

"That's understandable," Ginny responded. "Generous, no doubt, but understandable."

Harry shook his head, dismissing her answer by replying, "You all give me too much credit."

"We don't," Ginny said simply. "But we've had this argument enough."

"You're right," said Harry, sighing. "You almost always are."

Ginny grinned and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Almost?"

"Alright, alright, you're right about everything but that."

Ginny made a brooding face, then, jokingly, replied, "I guess I can live with that."

"So, what did you bring," Ginny asked him, pointing to the picnic basket on the side.

"Take a look," he responded.

Ginny bent over to open the basket, and removed a wedge of cheese, a baguette, two glasses, a bottle of wine, and fresh strawberries wrapped in a cloth napkin. She set the bread and cheese on Harry's plate, gently unfolded the napkin of berries onto hers, and sampled a bright red strawberry.

"They're very good," she informed him.

"I'm glad," he responded, reaching over to take a few. Harry then took the wine and glasses and poured some for each of them, noticing that most of his anxiety was gone now that she was here.

They enjoyed the dinner quietly, passing food between them and occasionally reminiscing about their time here during their Hogwarts days. When the food was gone, Harry carefully placed the dishes back in the basket, leaned against their tree, and opened his arms, inviting Ginny to sit with him. Ginny resettled herself between his legs and leaned against his chest, resting her head on his right shoulder and sighing deeply. Harry ran a hand up and down her arm, intermittently pausing to press a kiss to her cheek.

"Ginny, can I ask you something?" he queried.

"Always," she answered, turning her face so that she could see his. He lifted her gently off his chest and helped her stand, raising himself up so that he was standing as well.

"You know how much I love you, right?"

"Yes," came the expected reply.

Harry slowly sank down on one knee, slipped his hand into his pocket to remove a black velvet box, and asked, "Will you marry me?", opening the box to reveal a shining gold ring embedded with an oval emerald and increasingly smaller diamonds running on either side.

"Yes," she choked out, while crying, as he beamed at her, raised her left hand, and gently slid the ring onto her fourth finger. As soon as the ring was on, she pulled Harry up to stand with her, placed one hand on each of his shoulders, and leaned forward to kiss him tenderly. She felt him smile against her lips as his hands found the small of her back and pulled her slightly closer, her own hands traveling higher to tangle into his unruly hair.

At last, she pulled back and rested her chin on his left shoulder, smiling as she admired the view of the castle. Not wanting to destroy the magic of the moment, Harry absent-mindedly traced patterns onto her back.

"We should to tell Ron and Hermione," Ginny suggested after what seemed like hours.

Harry was silent for a moment, then, seemingly back on Earth, agreed, "Yes, we should."

"Hermione will be thrilled, she won't be the only one in the family without red hair anymore," Ginny observed.

Harry grinned at this comment, and pointed his wand at the candles, which disappeared. He then walked over to gather the basket and blanket, still holding her hand, and disapparated them to the newest Weasley flat.

_Thanks for reading, and thanks to my reviewers. Emily_


	4. Chapter 4

"You have a doctor's appointment today, right?" Harry asked Ginny as he finished his breakfast.

"Yes." Ginny replied, standing to place their dishes in the sink.

"I'm sorry I won't be in the office to her how it goes," Harry told his wife, rising also to wrap his arms around her waist, and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"That's alright," Ginny assured him, "you'll have news to hear when you come home."

Harry nodded and grinned, then frowned as he said, "I really have to leave for work now. The Auror Department is rather displeased when we show up late to train the new recruits."

"Alright, dear, you go," Ginny told him, "I'll be fine. Really."

"Thank you. Love you."

"Love you too," Ginny replied before kissing him one last time. He grabbed his jacket and disapparated.

Ginny sank into a chair and sighed. "I hope there's something to tell," she said to no one in particular.

Ten minutes later, Ginny gathered her own coat, and her purse, and disapparated from the same point.

Hours later, Ginny sat in a pine kitchen chair, smiling widely as she reclined. When a loud pop indicated that Harry had arrived, she stayed in the same position, and her smile grew that much larger.

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," Harry told her.

"Why thanks," Ginny said, though her smile did not fade at all.

"Always," Harry told her with mock solemnity. "So, what did the doctor say?" he asked.

"Nothing is wrong," Ginny informed him cautiously, now with a straighter mouth.

"That's wonderful!" he exclaimed.

Ginny smiled briefly, and continued, "Harry, I'm pregnant."

She looked up cautiously. Or at least she tried. The moment at which she had finished her confession, Harry had swept her off of her feet and spun her around in circles.

"That's wonderful," Harry assured her breathlessly, grinning from ear to ear. He leaned forward to kiss her cheeks, her nose, her forehead, and finally her lips, first lightly, and then more passionately. He ran his hands up and down her upper arms and she placed her hands on his chest.

When they were both out of breath, Harry rested his forehead on hers, kissing her on the mouth one last time.

"If it's a boy, we're naming him James," Ginny explained, " and if it's a girl, we're naming her Lily."

Harry's face softened. "Thank you," he whispered, kissing her again for a brief second. "That means a lot to me."

"It means a lot to me, too," Ginny told him. "I just hope James doesn't get into as much trouble as your father did."

Harry smirked. "Well, someone has to carry on the Potter legacy," he insisted.

"Don't you go telling that to our children," Ginny scolded, swatting his arm.

"Children?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's never too early to dream," Ginny said.

"No, it isn't." he agreed, "You taught me that, all those years ago when I first woke up after the battle,"

Ginny beamed at the memory of their reunion, then moved to rest against Harry's chest. He wrapped his arms around her. "Who knows?" Ginny queried. "Maybe two names won't be enough."  
Harry smiled and kissed her cheek again, euphoric at the thought of his own real family, at the idea of having children who would never know the hate he had, who would grow up with two loving parents, countless relatives, and the peace that had lasted since Voldemort's downfall.

_Thanks for reading, and thank you to my reviewers. Emily._


	5. Chapter 5

_Sorry that it has been more than a month. Here is the next one-shot. Thank you so much to my readers and reviewers. Emily _

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the specific ways in which I tell this story. Also, Ginny's line is a direct quote from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. JK Rowling owns all characters and any other information I have taken from the Harry Potter series.

Harry's pov…

I was standing in front of a mirror, grinning wildly; trying for what must have been the tenth time in an hour to tame my wild hair. And I had not been the only one to try. Every female relative and friend, including Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, had also attempted the feat. Hermione: with a few new spells, and Mrs. Weasley: mostly by glaring in motherly fashion at the awkward arrangement. As I stood there, incredibly close to giving up on my hair and letting it look like I didn't own a brush, I considered what a horrid cliché it was that men were worried on their wedding day. Why should I be? I was perfectly happy. Ginny Weasley, the most beautiful and perfect woman in the world, had chosen me. And I was marrying her. Today. In about ten minutes. Joy and wonder and love and appreciation were the only emotions for which I had room. The rest would have to wait. And if today were any sort of indicator, it would have to wait for a very long time.

"Harry, Harry," someone called, "time to go." I made one more futile attempt at flattening my hair and then turned toward the door. Leaving the preparation room in a daze, still smiling widely, I found my spot at the front and turned to face the back door. I stared into the hall with distant recognition; Professor McGonagall beaming at me through her square-nosed spectacles, Oliver Wood sitting with his wife, Katie Bell, Gabrielle Delacour, Seamus Finnigan, Lee Jordan. I grinned when I spotted Andromeda, smiling steadily and talking to a now spring green-haired Teddy, who, as ring bearer, had apparently decided to match Ginny's choice of décor.

Ginny. The very second I thought the name, Mr. Weasley and Ginny appeared behind Victoire and showers of pale green at the end of the aisle, and McGonagall and Oliver and Katie and Gabrielle and everyone else under the tent vanished. All I could see was Ginny, her beautiful, smiling face as she glided towards me. Mr. Weasley kissed Ginny's cheek, and, after passing her to me, settled next to his sobbing and smiling wife. I took each of Ginny's hands into my own, and the ceremony began.

I do not have many distinct memories of the service itself. I remember the feelings of utter love and joy. I remember the magical moment when I said, "I do", and Ginny said the same. And I remember the smooth feel of metal and the shine of gold as we exchanged rings. Then we were kissing as thousands upon thousands of vibrant flower petals showered from the Great Hall's ceiling, enchanted now to look like a dazzlingly sunny day. As I pulled back from Ginny, we looked up and smiled at the surprise, and at the words of praise Professor Flitwick endowed to the student body, which had been invited and had apparently arranged the display. I wrapped one arm around Ginny's waist, and we began to walk to the door. People cheered and shouted congratulations from the side as we stepped down the aisle.

Suddenly, we had passed through the gargantuan entrance to the Great Hall and were standing at the opening for the reception tent, the sun beating down wonderfully, waiting to thank everyone who had come. Students were the first to arrive; almost every Hogwarts student had decided to attend. Then came friends and family, including Mrs. Weasley, still sobbing. She pulled me and then Ginny into one of her infamous, bone-crushing hugs, until Ginny reminded her, "Mum, we can't breathe."

"Oh, right, sorry my dears," she exclaimed tearfully, "I'm just so happy for you two."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," I said.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Harry, call me Mum."

"Yes, Mum."

And on it went, hugs and congratulations and more hugs, all from beloved friends and family. At last, when I was sure I would faint from another hug, the line was gone, and we were taking our seats at the head table.

Ron and Hermione gave the first toast together, a light-hearted dialogue of sorts.

"So," Hermione began, "I thought I would start off our toast, seeing as Ron's is most likely comprised mostly of threatening messages for Harry---"

"Hey," Ron interrupted, "it is not!"

"Alright, then, give it a go."

"I will," he declared with false bravado, puffing out his chest. "Harry and Ginny, congratulations. I know you're perfect for each other---"

"Not that you always admitted that," Hermione inserted. Everyone laughed at their antics.

Ron turned to her with mock annoyance. "Shhhh let me finish."

"Yes, dear."

"Anyway, Harry, as my best friend, and Ginny, as my favorite sister and younger sibling,"

"Ronald!"

"What, Hermione?"

"Those weren't real compliments to Ginny,"

"They don't count?" He pretended to be upset.

"No, Ronald, they don't."

"Oh, alright, then, Harry and Ginny, as two of my greatest friends, I wish you all the happiness in the world, and hope you find only love and joy in your life together." He turned to Hermione, and said, in a pretend whisper, "How was that?"

"Not bad, actually," she conceded.

"Alright," Ron told her, "then I have one more thing to add. Harry Potter, you had better treat her well. I speak for all of the Weasley brothers when I say that we will not forgive you if you don't. Seeing as you are my best mate, though, I'll be the only one to threaten you. Again, congratulations."

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, and they sat back down.

"Well, thanks for the thought, little brother," George announced, standing and turning to grin at us with a mischievous smile, "but I actually have something to say. And then, I promise, Ginny, _no more _Weasleys will threaten you r new husband." Ginny laughed at this. "So, I actually have two things to say. The first is that I second Ron's threat. You had better treat her well, or you will have many angry brothers to deal with. Many, many angry brothers." He paused for emphasis. "Remember that." George's warning would probably have been more frightening had he not been smiling at me the entire time. "The second," George continued, "is a funny story from a long time ago, back in my third year at Hogwarts. I thought it would be appropriate for today. And if Ginny disagrees?" He left that sentence hanging, and waited for a moment. "So, anyway, the story. Here we go. Harry was just starting Hogwarts, and so was Ron. And even then Ron couldn't clean his nose properly," he joked. Hermione laughed loudly. "Ginny accompanied us to Platform 9 ¾, sobbing all the while that she couldn't come yet. She was, after all, the last Weasley to leave home. That was the first time she saw Harry. Harry Potter, in the flesh. And the first words out of her mouth, when she learned _Harry Potter_ was there? 'Oh, Mom,' " George began, in a perfect imitation of Ginny's ten-year-old voice, " 'can I go on the train and see him, Mom, oh please…' "

The guests erupted into laughter, while I turned and kissed a red-faced Ginny on the cheek. She glared playfully at George and gave him a half-hearted shove in the arm.

"Well, I think the story speaks for itself, but I'll say it anyway, just in case. These two were meant for each other. All my love and congratulations Harry and Ginny."

Neville's toast was next. "I'm sure everyone wants to get to the wonderful dinner here, so I'll be brief. Harry and Ginny, you are both wonderful people with good hearts. If anyone deserves this, it would be you." I made a mental note to thank him later for such a kind comment, and to remind him that he had done more than his fair share as well to bring us all to this point.

We were surprised when Professor McGonagall rose to speak, as were, it seemed, all of the guests. The tent became silent, and all eyes turned to her. She turned to me, a look of pride on her face. "All I wanted to say is that your parents would have been proud." She took her seat again. Ginny gripped my hand reassuringly, and then began to clap for all of the toasts. I joined in, several tears falling from my eyes, and so did the crowd.

Once everyone was settled and Ginny was done glaring daggers at George, dinner appeared on our plates. I ate the delicious meal slowly, punctuating bites with long minutes of staring at Ginny, or contemplating how far we had come from that fateful train ride in our childhood, or talking to loved ones who came to chat. Soon we were standing by the cake, a massive structure that stretched several feet into the air, pale green sugar petals, as well as a few misplaced real and colored ones from inside, peppering the surface. Ginny grinned, and, with a twinkle in her eye, placed so large a piece of cake into my mouth that I was coughing and sputtering for several minutes. I barely managed to give Ginny her piece before I was laughing heartily. After finishing cake, we stepped over to the dance floor. As we walked, George turned and whispered in my ear, "Do you think McGonagall'll make Ron dance with her again?" I laughed, and repeated this to Ginny.

"Was that George's idea?' she asked.

"You don't miss a thing, do you?"

"Nope," she assured me. "Now let's dance."

Dancing with Ginny was magical. As others came over to dance with us, I was reluctant to give her up. However, I did end up dancing briefly with Hermione and Mrs. Weasley. Of course, I did not dance with Luna, as she was wandering the tent with a dreamy look on her face. "What's she looking for?" I asked Neville. He shrugged.

Then I was back with Ginny, dancing for another hour. At this point, the students had left, as well as several guests, so that only the Weasleys and most of Dumbledore's Army remained. We all talked for a while, and then Ginny and I hugged each of them goodbye. I wrapped one arm around Ginny's waist, and we disapparated to our honeymoon hotel.

_Thanks for reading! Please review! And thank you to my reviewers:TayliaNinja, LindseyPotter13, lea, harryandjamesluvr, rexrocks1994, Feff, David Fishwick, Icedearth15876, ArianaRae, Joe Prawn,kate, EliseShaw, Splash123, x, and O-fallen-phoenix-_

_I do not know yet what the next one-shot will be about, but I have considered all suggestions. _

_Emily_


	6. Chapter 6

I kept my eyes squeezed shut, allowing only the bare minimum of awareness to approach. I wanted to savor that rapidly dwindling fraction of time in which I was awake, yet remembered nothing. For somehow, subconsciously, I knew that I did not want to remember. That whatever it was, I dreaded the time when I would recollect whatever unpleasantness was clouding my mind.

Wishing could not keep my brain from functioning, and all too soon, thought evoked memories of where I was and why I was there. My eyes opened slowly, carefully, and took in the relative darkness of the room. And the still figure that rested next to me within it.

My eyes slammed shut again as memories came flooding back from the previous day.

It had been a brilliant Friday morning, with a stunningly blue sky and a gentle breeze. I had awoken in a decidedly pleasant way, with Ginny running her hands along my back and whispering into my ear. I took my time in waking, wanting to draw out the moment for as long as possible. I was certain that she knew I was awake; I did not care. After several minutes, I turned to face her and leisurely kissed her forehead, cheeks, and nose, and finally, her mouth. She broke the kiss after only a few short seconds, resting her forehead on mine and smiling bemusedly.

"Harry, you have to go to work today." She said it with a rather stern voice, which I suppose should not have surprised me. I was too busy tracing her cheekbone and neck to listen carefully.

"I know," I replied, "but I'm far too comfortable here. I'd much rather stay with you all day."

She laughed at me, and then suddenly she was standing and walking towards her dresser, pulling out clothes for the day.

"I would too, but perhaps if I start getting ready it will inspire you. This is your last day before you get a week off."

"And why would that be?" I asked. I could not resist, of course, and her reaction was beautifully predictable. She spun around and glared teasingly.

I pretended to gasp, covering my mouth with one hand, and exclaimed, "Is it our anniversary tomorrow? I had forgotten!"

Her glare softened into a sweet smile, and she turned back to her task.

I then managed to drag myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a shower. I was just brushing my teeth when Ginny called to me from the bedroom, and then walked through the door with an envelope in her hand. I nodded to indicate that she could open it, and she read it aloud.

_Auror Harry Potter_

_We require your assistance in the case of an escapee from Azkaban. Please report to the ministry promptly with a change of clothes. We suspect our efforts will take approximately two days._

_Ministry of Magic_

I frantically grabbed a few necessary toiletries, as Ginny raced into the bedroom, calling behind her that she would gather my clothes.

In less than a minute, I had a bag ready. I leaned forward to hug her tightly, mumbling apologies about missing part of our anniversary the next day. She silenced me with a quick kiss, and saw me to the front yard, where I disapparated.

When I arrived at the ministry, I felt as though something was off. I hurried over to Ron's desk, as I knew he was already on duty today.

"Ron, what's going on?" I asked. He looked puzzled.

"What do you mean? It's been a normal day so far. I've been here for half an hour and nothing's happened. Why?" I was baffled. Surely, if something as serious as an Azkaban breakout had happened, the department would have informed Ron?

"I got a letter this morning saying that I needed to pack for a couple of days and come here; there was a breakout in Azkaban."

"Nothing's happened, Harry," he said. The beginnings of suspicion formed in my mind.

"Ron, the note I got, it told me to leave promptly. And Ginny doesn't have work today. Everyone knows that; this time of year, the teams always get Friday through Sunday off."

"Yes," he encouraged, somewhat questioning.

"That letter was a ploy to get Ginny alone in our house," I concluded. "We have to go."

Ron and I apparated to Grimmauld Place without another word, and raced together up the ten stairs from the front into the house.

"Ginny!" I yelled in desperation, bursting through the front door and up the stairs. "Gin---"

"Hello, Harry Potter." The icy voice broke through my panic and turned it into rage.

"What do you want?" I screamed, frantically searching the bedroom as I used my wand to light it. I raced across the floor, placing a hand on Ginny's pale forehead, praying that she was alright. The eerie similarity between this situation and the Chamber of Secrets in my second year was unsettling.

"You," the voice replied. "And it seems I have succeeded. Expelliarmus!"

My wand flew across the room and into the windowsill, far too great a distance for me to cross. Regardless, I refused to leave Ginny's side. The figure stepped closer to us, lifted its wand, and opened its mouth. I cringed and held Ginny to me.

"Stupefy!"

I looked for the source of this life-saving word, only to remember that I had brought Ron with me, and that he had been only a few steps behind on the stairs.

"Get her to St. Mungo's," he ordered, "I'll take care of this one."

I nodded meekly, and we were gone.

That was yesterday morning. And today I found myself in an uncomfortable chair in a hospital, clutching Ginny's hand tightly as I waited for the medication to wear off enough that she might wake. The criminal, as it so happens, was a crazed fan who decided that if she took Ginny out of the picture, I would be hers forever. Ginny had not been a lure, but rather the true target of the affair. The woman had almost killed Ginny; our unexpected arrival was the only reason that I was not at a funeral.

Of all the ironies in the situation, the worst was this: today was our first wedding anniversary.

I raised the hand to my lips and pressed a light kiss on it, startled and wondrously relieved when the hand squeezed back.

"Ginny?" I whispered.

"Harry? Where are we?" she asked, her voice raspy from disuse.

"St. Mungo's," I replied, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "A woman decided that if she could get rid of you, she could have me. Pretty daft. Ron and I realized it in time to get you. The letter from the ministry was a fake."

"What day is it?" she murmured.

"Only Saturday. And they said you'll be out of here by the end of the day."

"It's our anniversary?" she asked.

I smiled and nodded.

"What a way to spend it."

"Don't worry about it, Ginny. I'm just glad you're alright." I brushed hair out of her face, and she sighed. "There are a few other people who would like to see you. Should I get them?"

"Sure. Just, not all of them at once. We don't want to scare the hospital staff with an army of redheads." I laughed, glad to see her energy back.

The Weasley's paraded into the room in small groups, quietly wishing Ginny a speedy recovery. Mrs. Weasley gave practically everyone in the room a hug, kissed Ginny on the forehead, and shooed everyone out of the room. Around three, the staff decided that Ginny could go home. I helped her upstairs, settled her in our bed, and heated some soup. My last thought, before drifting off to sleep, was a hope that the rest of our anniversaries would be less eventful.

_I'm curious. How many of you thought the narrator was Ginny at the beginning of the story?_

_Thanks again to reviewers: TayliaNinja, LindseyPotter13, lea, harryandjamesluvr, rexrocks1994, Feff, David Fishwick, Icedearth15876, ArianaRae, Joe Prawn, kate, EliseShaw, Splash123, x, O-fallen-phoenix, hollyjaynee-ginnyharrylove, Lunaclaw14, allie's hope, and Julia Claire._

_Emily_


	7. Chapter 7

The kitchen, to Ginny, did not appear like much of a kitchen at all. In fact, it called to mind one of the bright warnings found on her old potions books cautioning students against making mistakes in their brewing.

"Hermione!" she called with trepidation apparent in her voice," you'd best come here."

"What?" Hermione asked, turning the corner from the entryway. The second she saw the mess, her mouth fell open in shock.

"I don't think we should let our husbands and children play together for this long anymore," Ginny suggested.

"No, probably not," Hermione agreed before covering her mouth with a hand and giggling.

Ginny glared at her friend.

"Lots of laughing you'd be doing if it was your kitchen."

"Sorry," she said, straightening her face and shouting "Ronald!"

Rose and Lily emerged from the upstairs, and Rose turned to her cousin, whispering knowingly, "Dad's in trouble now."

Both girls went to hug their respective mothers in greeting, and then continued into the living room, apparently already aware of the situation, and apparently also aware of the entertaining show about to transpire.

Ron and Harry appeared first, each with his offspring hiding behind him.

"What, exactly, happened in here?" Ginny asked, shrugging off her coat and setting it on the rack.

Harry could see the anger set in her face, but he did not miss the bright sparkle in her eyes.

"Well, we…we," Ron began.

"We remembered this potions experiment," Harry explained, "that was in one of our old school books. And we thought we'd try it out."

Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Ok, so we got them from George's shop," Ron amended.

"What exactly are 'they'?" Hermione inquired. "Hugo?"

"Uncle George said they were supposed to make food do interesting things. Like, turn rainbow colored and stuff."

"And you believed him?" Ginny asked.

"We thought we'd try it out. You know, just to see what it did," Albus said.

James continued, "So Dad got out some soup and added the potion to it."

"And, well, you can see the rest," Ron concluded.

"Yes, indeed," his wife agreed.

"Never, ever believe George when he calls some invention of his harmless. Ron, Harry, you should know this."

"Yeah, I know…We tried cleaning it, Gin, didn't work at all."

"George says that it'll come off in 48 hours."

"We're going to have sparkly, fluorescent, lemon yellow goo on our kitchen walls and ceiling until Monday?"

"Afraid so," Harry confirmed. Ginny covered her face with her hands for a moment, and then looked up.

"Don't we need to get Rose to her lesson?" Ron asked his wife.

"Oh, yes, we do. Ginny, Rose has a lesson in an hour, we really have to go."

"Oh, alright, go ahead," Ginny agreed.

"Rose, Lily, it's time for Rose to go," Hermione called.

"But mum…"

"No, we have to go now. Come on. You'll see them again soon."

"Yeah, on Monday when we get together to clean up this mess," Ginny informed them.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

The Granger-Weasley family quickly gathered their jackets, shoes, and toys and headed to the door. Ron and Hugo gave Harry, James, and Albus identically apologetic looks over their shoulders on the way out.

"No sense in trying to clean it now, anyway," Ginny observed, "looks like takeaway for dinner."

Albus and James looked at each other with relief and disappeared. Harry followed behind them.

As soon as Harry and the children had left the room, Ginny turned to the stairs, climbed to the main hallway, walked into the master bedroom, and collapsed, laughing, against the closing door.

She had been there only thirty seconds when Harry appeared in the second doorway, across the room.

"I knew you thought that was funny," he accused.

"What can I say? It reminds me of, well, us, back in school. Only we didn't have parents to hide behind when Mum sent a howler."

Harry laughed.

"You remember that day Ron ate those vomiting pasties to get out of class?"

She laughed, "Yes, but not for the reason you think."

"What?" he asked, lifting her off the ground so that she was leaning against his chest.

"Cho was staring at you the entire day. I was sort of angry."

"Oh, indeed," he teased. "And why would that be?"

"Harry!" She shoved him gently in the stomach, then resettling back into his arms.

"So it really won't be clean until Monday?"

"Well," he replied, "I suppose I could torture your brother until he gets rid of it."

"You could," she agreed.

"But then I would owe him more for not telling more ridiculous stories at our wedding."

"And?"

"And I think he'll try again at our next anniversary. And I don't want to give him any more reason to."

She shrugged. "You know he doesn't need encouragement."

"Yes, I've discovered that most definitely today. Remind me to stay away from George for activity ideas on lazy Saturdays."

"Oh, don't worry, I will."

"We could just ask him nicely," she suggested.

"Your funeral."

She sighed. "You're right. So, what are we having for dinner tonight, and where are we going to eat?"

_Sorry it's been so long! Thanks to reviewers: TayliaNinja, 13, lea, harryandjamesluvr, Twilight-HarryPotterlover1994, Feff, David Fishwick, Icedearth15876, ArianaRae, Joe Prawn, kate, EliseShaw, Splash123, x, O-fallen-phoenix-, hollyjaynee-ginnyharrylove, Lunaclaw14, allie's hope, Julia Claire, Halstead84, Christeenejane96, ginnyweasleyno1fan123, RIPFRED_

_Kind of a different genre for this story. What do you think? _


	8. Chapter 8

_Before you begin, I would like to mention that I am from the US. I would love someone from Britain to tell me when you open presents for Christmas. Primary sources are always best. Thanks, Emily._

Dimly lit by the soft glow of a crackling fire, the Weasley clan was gathered at the burrow for their annual Christmas dinner and present exchange. Annual was perhaps a term too loosely applied, for this was only the second of their gatherings. Started due to a suggestion from Hermione, a Weasley in every way except her decidedly not red hair (and the fact that Ron hadn't hacked up the courage to propose yet), the evening was meant to be one of celebrating, and of reminiscing.

Bill and three-months pregnant Fleur were closest to the fire, both of her hands resting protectively over her stomach as Bill wavered between sitting comfortably with his wife and making nervous suggestions for him to check on his mother's progress in the kitchen whenever it seemed her somewhat touchy temper was escalating.  
Of course, Fleur's pregnancy meant that she spent most of the evening either playing with Teddy, or trying to convince Bill to play with him. Andromeda was happy to oblige. Between Fleur, Bill, and the rest of the group, Andromeda barely saw Teddy at all.

George made an effort to be the light-hearted jokester, but his warm smile was often punctuated with a morose expression, at which point Angelina would wrap an arm around his shoulder, obviously practiced in dealing with both of their grief. Charlie could not make it to the dinner, but Percy was there with his fiancée, Audrey.

Ron was a fidgety, nervous celebrant, much to the surprise of everyone in the room, except Harry and Ginny. Ron sat at the foot of a couch with Hermione, holding her close and playing with her hair, but his face portrayed only some of the calm it usually did when he was around her. Hermione, not one to miss anything, especially where Ron was involved, looked unsettled as well.

Whenever someone questioned Ron's anxiety, Ginny or Harry gently directed the conversation away from him. For their own part, Harry and Ginny sat together on a couch and simply entwined their fingers, for he had still not gotten over a concern for her brothers' reactions to her dating life. At one point, in her efforts to distract her other brothers from bullying Ron, Ginny turned and kissed Harry deeply for two or three seconds. He responded at first, and then seemed to remember where he was and turned quietly away from her, his face now a carrying a crimson flush. It worked. All of her brothers, except Ron, who was just grateful for the help, turned and stared, openmouthed.

Fleur looked at each of them with a laugh. "Oh do leave them alone. You Weasley men are harder to please than a pack of hungry wolves. " (A/N I've always found French transliterations of her speaking to be grossly inaccurate as far as a French accent, so I've decided to leave her in normal English.)

Ginny smiled at her appreciatively as all the wives, fiancées, and girlfriends in the room nodded in agreement.

They were all spared further scrutiny by Mrs. Weasley's announcement of dinner.

The boys were, naturally, the first out of the room, but Ron lagged behind, earning him a strange look from Hermione.

At dinner, Ron barely touched his food. Harry whispered something to him at one point and he carefully swallowed a few bites. Ginny watched Ron with an amused smile. This seemed to reassure Hermione, who then switched places to ask her friend what was going on.

"Nothing's wrong, I swear," Ginny reassured. "You'll figure it out soon enough."

Hermione glared jokingly and returned to her seat next to Ron.

Harry whispered to Ginny, "I can't wait for this to be over already."

"I agree. But the moment will be worth it."

Harry smiled and then returned to his previous task of convincing Ron that eating would help maintain his cover. He was unsuccessful.

The rest of the family seemed somewhat oblivious to the drama unfolding in that particular corner of the room. They continued about their meals with the lively rambunctious conversation characteristic of family gatherings. Mrs. Weasley kept smiling conspiratorially at Harry and Ginny, which left Hermione wondering once again.

After dinner, the group meandered back into the living room for presents. Once everyone was seated, Ron looked nervously at Harry and Ginny and received encouraging nods.

"'Mione,"

Hermione wheeled around from her conversation with Fleur.

"Ahem," Harry cleared his throat, and the room silenced.

Ron paled.

" 'Mione," he repeated. She walked toward him and took his hand, and she was smiling. This led Harry to think that she had figured it out. He shook his head. You never could get anything past her for long. Ginny looked at him quizzically, and he explained his conclusion in a short whisper.

"Hermione knows."

Ginny covered a giggle with her hand.

"I love you," Ron whispered.

Hermione smiled softly. "I love you too."

He reached into his pocket and slid down onto one knee. Hermione smiled more broadly, but she did not seem surprised. That emotion had come and gone several minutes before.

"Marry me?" he breathed.

"Of course," she replied, laughing.

She wiped a tear from her eye as they embraced to the applause of the entire family.

All other presents were forgotten as the family swarmed around them for congratulations.

At one point, Hermione whispered into Ron's ear, " You know I figured it out about halfway through dinner. Wasn't hard, between your mum, Harry and Ginny, and your lack of appetite."

Ron grinned sheepishly and kissed her cheek. "I knew you would."

George came up and shoved Ron's arm playfully. "So that's why you were so jumpy. You need to work on your acting."

"Thanks," Ron replied with sarcasm.

"Really, it was almost too easy."

"Thanks."

After everything had quieted down, presents were opened and everyone but Mr. and Mrs. Weasly, Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny had left. Ron and Hermione endured a few more smothering hugs from Mrs. Weasley and several teasing smiles from Harry and Ginny before they, too, decided to head home. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley said goodnight to the remaining couple and retired.

Ginny and Harry settled on the couch, his arm around her shoulder and her head on his.

"That was fun," he said, tracing aimless patterns on her arm with one hand, "but I'm glad the secret's out."

"Yes," Ginny agreed with a smile, "Hermione is far too inquisitive for anyone to keep secrets from her."

"I spent half of dinner convincing Ron that everyone would know something was wrong if he didn't eat."

She laughed. "And I spent half of dinner convincing Hermione that nothing was wrong."

They stayed there for hours, laughing quietly and reminiscing about the last year-and-a-half, until Ginny grew too tired to keep her eyes open. Harry watched her sleep and stroked her hair for several minutes, until he, too, succumbed to sleep.

_Thanks for reading, and to reviewers: TayliaNinja, Lindsey Potter13, lea, harryandjamesluvr, HarryandGinnyPotter1994, Feff, David Fishwick, Icedearth15876, ArianaRae, Joe Prawn, kate, EliseShaw, Splash123, x, O-fallen-phoenix-, hollyjaynee, Lunaclaw 14, allie's hope, Julia Claire, Halstead84, 7teen.4ever, ginnyweasleyno1fan123, RIPFRED, books101_

_Thanks again, Emily_


	9. Chapter 9

Ginny appeared in the doorway, took in the disaster before her, and threw her head back in laughter. "Harry," she gasped out, with equal parts exasperation and amusement, "we didn't think we could put our three-year-old on a broom, indoors, without running into some consequences, did we? Particularly not the son who's got two, err, rather mischievous namesakes."

Harry grinned back sheepishly while waving his wand at bits of gold, silver, and crimson Christmas ornaments until they pieced back together on the tree.

"Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Yes, well, in retrospect, we should've waited 'til we could go outside. Or maybe we could've let one of his uncles deal with the mayhem," She suggested, bending down to pick up books and manuals that had been knocked off their shelves. "Anyway, they're both asleep now, so that's good,"

"How'd you manage that?" he asked. He looked up when she didn't respond right away.

She pointed somewhere above his right eye.

"What?"

"You make a nice impromptu tree," she replied.

"Oh, great. What's there?" He batted at his hair with one hand.

"Oh relax, Harry," she grinned, "it's just a little piece of gold ribbon. And maybe some glitter in your hair. And an evergreen sprig or two."

Harry sighed as she walked over from the bookshelf to pull the fabric and leaves away.

"If this is what he's like at three, I worry for our house when he's old enough to forsake the afternoon nap."

"And our sanity," Ginny added, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

Harry had gotten James the broom for Christmas with the hope that he would be old enough to try it out without any calamities. Anyway, James's parents both loved flying, and were eager to share that joy with him. It had taken Harry and James ten minutes of debate to get the latter on the broom.

"_Why do I get on it?" _

"_Because it's really fun to ride, James, I promise. Your mum loves it, too."_

"_Why?" James looked up questioningly at his father._

"_You should ask her, buddy."_

"_Why?"_

"_She could tell you why she likes it," Harry explained._

"_Mummy!Mummy!Mummy!Mummy!Mummy!—" James yelled to the doorway._

"_Yes, James?" (James called her in such rapid succession that it took Ginny until the third cry to reply, and the fifth to be in the room.)_

"_Why?" he asked._

"_Why what?" Ginny, by this time, was next to the tree with them. _

"_Why do you like brooms? Daddy doesn't know."_

_Ginny flattened some of her son's spiky hair onto his forehead. James was standing across from a kneeling Harry, the broomstick held speculatively in his hands. "I like flying because it's lots of fun," she explained. "Also, your daddy and I loved to fly when we were in school." She grinned at Harry._

"_Why?" James asked, looking up at his mother with a patiently questioning gaze._

_Harry stifled a laugh. James had certainly entered what he supposed was a frustrating stage of growth for many parents—the stage of unending questions. And they weren't different questions. Just "Why?". _

"_Flying at school is really fun because you get to play with all of your friends. One day, you'll go to school too, and maybe you'll play with your friend, too."_

"_Why?"_

"_Let's just try the broomstick for now, OK?" Harry proposed._

"_Why?"_

"_So you can see how much fun it is," Ginny offered._

_Before he could ask "Why?" again, though Lord knows, Ginny thought, what he could possibly wonder about her statement, she picked him up and set him on the broomstick. James had been in this phase for a few weeks now, and she knew he most certainly would find something else to wonder about if she didn't distract him._

_He took off, the left-over wrapping paper ripping as he zoomed away._

"Next year, we're getting him something nice and sedentary. How do you feel about jigsaw puzzles? Or maybe some stuffed animals."

"I think he'd find a way to make a mess out of those, too."

Ginny laughed. "I suppose you're right. Oh, boys."

"But you love us anyway, right?"

Ginny swatted his forearm playfully.

"Anyway, he needs to be able to play Quidditch in school. It helps woo women."

"Oh, does it?" Ginny asked. "As I recall it, _I_ was the one who was playing, and you were the one sitting in detention."

"Details," Harry replied.

"_Really?_" Ginny did her best to sound scandalized.

"Yeah, I mean, that was temporary, and anyway, _I_ was the one who kissed _you_ that day."

Ginny dropped the books remaining in her hands on a nearby side table.

"Is that so?"

She placed her hands on his chest and pressed his back against a nearby wall, then began a passionate kiss. Her hands had just worked their way into his hair, and his slightly under her shirt on her waist, when they heard a wail.

They both froze.

"I'll get him," Harry said, removing his hands. He brushed a few strands of fiery hair out of her face, slid out from behind her, and left.

He entered his sons' room to find James standing on his cot, his mouth opened as if to wail again. "Shhh, James, we don't want to wake your brother."

James looked quizzically at Harry, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why?"

_Thanks for reading! Emily_


	10. Chapter 10

_She could feel the damp, cold stone tiles beneath her feet as she stepped, cautiously, wary of the painfully loud sounds her feet made every time they hit the floor. Too much noise would give her away, though she wondered, somewhere, why that was a problem. She could hear a man muttering ahead of her. He was taunting someone, though she could not hear precisely what he said. She kept going, because, somehow, she knew that she was supposed to. The fingers in her right hand tightened around her wand, making her aware for the first time that she had it. She drew closer and closer to the noise, until she could see the man, and a girl, pale, lying on the same tiles, her red hair damp and splayed above her head. She could hear the hiss of a snake behind her, but that did not trouble her, for with that sound she recognized that it must be her, lying there, in the Chamber of Secrets. She was dreaming. _

_That was odd, she thought. She hadn't dreamt about her first year at Hogwarts in years. She drew closer to the girl, to herself, curious what she had imagined herself to look like, lying there, dying, unaware of where she was or that rescue was, from the place she knew she was in the memory, only seconds away. _

_Her heart beat faster as she walked, perhaps a returning detail from her memory. She hit a puddle, and the loud splash made the man look up at her. He was not the Tom Riddle who had spoken to her from the pages of that diary. He was Voldemort, as Ginny had known him, his eyes red and snakelike, nostrils flaring. _

"_What a surprise," he sneered sarcastically._

_She took one more step. Her heart stuttered. The girl was not Ginny. It was Lily._

"_No!" she screamed, running to her daughter. "No, it can't be. You've got to be all right, Lily, honey, open your eyes. Look at me." She fell to the floor next to Lily, her eyes filling with tears. She grasped Lily's ice-cold hand._

_The red eyes flashed. "You can't help her now."_

"_Wake up, sweetheart! Wake up! Wake up. Wake up…"_

"Ginny, wake up!"

She felt hands grasping her arms, shaking her. But where was Lily? She had to find her.

"Lily?" she cried. "Lily!"

"Ginny? Ginny. It's ok. Wake up. You're all right. Lily's all right. It was just a dream."

Ginny moaned in confusion and twisted her head to the side. She became aware of a blinking, reddish light to her right, reflecting against her eyelids, though they were still squeezed shut. Their alarm clock, she realized, not Voldemort's ghastly eyes. She was at home, with her husband, not in some dark tunnel beneath her old school. Voldemort had died some twenty years ago, killed by the very person who had shaken her from her nightmare. For that, she realized, was what it must have been. She had been right all along. It was a dream.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. Harry came into view, his face contorted with worry. She swiped carelessly at the tear tracks on her face, staring up at him as though he could offer an explanation.

"Well, this is an interesting role reversal," she whispered, her voice still raw.

Usually, she was the one to wake Harry from nightmares.

Harry laughed breathlessly, then sobered and pulled her into a hug.

"What was it?" he asked.

"The dream?" she replied, leaning out of their embrace. "Very strange."

She flattened an errant piece of hair as he slipped an arm around her waist. Her head fell onto his shoulder.

"I was walking in the Chamber of Secrets," she began.

Harry looked startled, gave her a questioning look.

"I never dream about it," she assured him, looking up at his face. "At least, I haven't in years and years."

He nodded that she should continue. That was one of her favorite things about Harry. He was wonderful at listening.

She took a deep breath. "Voldemort was there. But he wasn't like the man from my first year. He wasn't the teenage schoolboy, Tom Riddle. He was Voldemort as he appeared much later, when we were older, when he died. And there was a girl, on the floor, with red hair. I assumed that she was me, and that I was dreaming a sort of memory."

Harry's eyebrows shifted.

"But when I got closer, it was our Lily, lying there, pale and cold like I was. Dying."

"She's all right," he comforted, his arms tightening around her. "She's sleeping in her bed, just a few rooms away."

Ginny nodded and squeezed him tighter, burying her face deeper into the crook of his neck.

"I wonder what prompted this." Ginny mumbled into his shoulder some moments later, more to herself than to him.

He shrugged. "Sometimes, I have bad dreams for no reason at all."

Ginny laughed weakly.

"Or sometimes," he added after a moment of thought, "I'm reminded of a person or event by something else, and I carry that into my dream."

"Ah, that must be it."

"What?" Harry asked, curious.

Ginny pulled back to look at him. "Lily asked me yesterday if I had any spare notebooks for her to use as diaries next year at Hogwarts. She was so excited. I don't think she understood why I wasn't thrilled about the idea."

Harry sighed. "Yes, that would do it." He pushed some hair off her forehead and kissed her softly. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her that I would look tomorrow. My experience didn't really occur to me, though apparently it did, subconsciously."

"That sounds fine," Harry agreed. "Looking later, I mean."

Ginny shivered. "Why can't I shake this feeling?"

Harry looked at her, as if considering his options.

"Come on, I know something that will help." He stood with her and pulled her gently to their door. They padded quietly down the carpeted hall. Harry stopped at Lily's room and eased the door open.

Lily was sleeping peacefully on her bed, her arms wound around her colorful blankets.

Ginny stepped forward. She straightened the blankets and kissed her daughter's forehead, then backed into Harry's arms.

"You see?" he whispered. "She's fine."

Ginny nodded and sighed, the hopeless feeling of her dream finally fading.

Harry continued in a quiet, low voice. "Don't you remember, that summer after the war, when we all lived at the Burrow? How I coped with my nightmares?"

"You came to see me," Ginny whispered, understanding.

Lily shifted in her sleep, mumbling. "Owls on broomsticks…ridiculous. No, Fred."

Harry and Ginny grinned at each other, and slipped silently from the room before they woke their daughter.

Once they had reached their bedroom again, Ginny walked back to the bed, her head sinking into the pillows. Harry followed so that they were facing each other. They lay in silence, Harry absently playing with her hair.

Ginny took a deep breath and let it out again. "I think I'm all right now."

"Good."

She returned his earlier kiss. "Thank you."

He nodded, his expression lighter.

"Remember," he said with mock self-importance, lifting his chin, "my girls will always have the Chosen One to execute a brilliant rescue."

"Prat," she whispered, playfully shoving his shoulder.

He rested their foreheads together in response, both of them laughing.

"I meant it, though. I would never let anything happen to any of you." His tone and his face were more serious.

"I know," Ginny replied. "Now go to sleep. I've kept you up long enough."

"I'm all right," he responded. "I keep you up all the time with my nightmares."

Ginny smiled, letting her eyes drift shut. "Always the noble, self-sacrificing git," she managed, before drifting back into sleep.

_Thanks for reading! Emily._


	11. Loving Them

_This, in case it is confusing, is supposed to take place somewhere between when Remus returns (and thus Teddy is already born) and the final battle._

* * *

"It's not easy, sometimes, is it? Loving them." Tonks settled on the step next to Ginny. She gestured to the photo Ginny held of Remus and Harry walking through the Burrow's lawn the previous winter.

Ginny jumped a little at being caught.

Tonks laughed quietly, pulling her arms more tightly around her for warmth. "Don't worry, I'm not about to tell anyone."

She took Ginny's silence as confirmation and let her statement sink in for a second.

"It's important, though," she continued, her eyes drifting to the now-empty lawn where the photo had been taken. "More than they realize. People like them," she gestured to the photo, "they have to learn how to let people love them."

Ginny met Tonks's gaze, then looked back at the picture. "We dated last year, you know. For a few weeks, anyway."

Tonks gave her an appraising look and seemed to decide something. "I knew."

Ginny laughed quietly. "Well, then, between you and Hermione, I'm much more obvious than I thought."

Tonks shook her head a little as she joined in the laughter. "Well, Hermione's one thing, because I'm fairly certain she sees other people's relationships more clearly than she sees her own, but I'm just more observant than most—trust me on this, I have experience with this particular issue. We're in love with a pair of noble idiots."

Ginny ran her hand over Harry's face in the photo, both thoughtfulness and tenderness creeping into her gaze. "Yes," she confessed, apparently giving up any pretense of not being in love with him. "Yes we are."

"I've watched him. He's in love with you, too."

Ginny sighed. "I know."

"And what he did, leaving-it was necessary."

"I know."

Tonks gave her an almost motherly smile. "As for the rest of it, have hope that someday you'll be able to work it out."

"Yeah." Ginny ran a hand along her arm absently.

"He has to accept that you love him as much as he loves you."

"But what you said, before…" Ginny looked thoughtful, but not unsure, "it's true. They don't—he doesn't—remember what it's like to be loved without worrying that it's conditional. So when he feels that, he doesn't recognize it. He doesn't understand that while I understand why he did what he did, I would do the same for him. I would sacrifice my own happiness to protect him." She sounded frustrated.

Tonks ran a hand along her shoulder for a second. "He will, sweetheart." Ginny looked at her quizzically. "I have some experience in that, as well." Tonks held the edge of the photo and stared at her husband. "You will keep loving him, until, one day, he realizes that there's nothing he can do about it." She smiled kindly as she stood to go back into the house. "I believe you'll have that chance."

That night, as Ginny watched Tonks and Remus lovingly place their son in bed and slip their arms around each other's waists as they crossed the hall to their room, she, if only for a second, believed it too.

* * *

At their funeral, Ginny watched Harry sit in a front corner, alone, staring at the caskets as though he had no one left in the world. She whispered in her mother's ear and came to stand next to him, in the outside aisle. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder. _Let me in_. she pleaded. She nearly sighed with relief when his hand crossed his body and slid over hers.

Harry stayed with her after the service. "I love you," he told her on the walk back to the castle. It was only the second time he'd said it since his return.

"I know," she replied with a gentle smile, her ears full of that last conversation with Tonks. "I love you, too."

* * *

Several years later, Ginny was setting three-month-old James down in his crib, Harry looking on fondly from the door. She crossed to the doorway, where the moon cast soft blue light on her husband, and slipped her arm around his waist. He returned the gesture. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" he whispered, placing a kiss on her jaw.

She smiled softly and tightened her hold on him as they walked to their room. The moonlight illuminated a picture resting on the hallway cabinet, perhaps eight or ten feet from their door. She stopped to pick up the frame and trace the figures with her hand, Remus and Tonks looking at them with quiet contentment.

"She was right," Ginny whispered, more to herself than to Harry.

"About what?" Harry asked, sweeping a hand along her neck and shoulder.

Ginny shook her head at the memory, playful fire in her eyes. "After Teddy was born, when the three of them were staying at the Burrow, she sat me down and accused me of being in love with you."

Harry laughed softly. Ginny shoved his side playfully. "And then she called you a noble idiot and said that I had to not give up on loving you until you figured out that it wasn't going to change."

"Mhm. Smart woman, Tonks." He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I'll say," Ginny replied, running her hand across the photo once more before setting it back on the cabinet next to the one of Harry with his parents. She ran a hand through Harry's hair and pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I love you."

Harry smiled beautifully. "I know. I love you, too."

* * *

_Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review. They make my day. :)_

_Emily_


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